April 11, 2016

10-point overboard plan

EVERY NOW AND THEN someone falls
overboard.What happens after that —
whether they’ll live or die — depends on a lot of different circumstances,
including the time of day or night, the state of the sea, whether or not their
disappearance was noticed, the temperature of the water, the number of crew
available for rescue, what the victim was wearing in the way of safety gear,
and so on.

Every episode of a person overboard
is so different from every other episode that

impossible to drew up a fixed set of
actions to deal with the situation.Clearly, the crew remaining on board will have to make a lot of
spur-of-the-moment decisions, and just as clearly, there will be a lot of luck
involved in a successful rescue.

Nevertheless, there is a basic
crew-overboard procedure that can be applied and adapted as necessary, and one
of its chief functions might well be to avoid the panic and inefficiency that
quickly assumes lethal proportions when there is no coherent emergency plan
with which everyone on board is familiar.

So here’s a 10-point plan that could
form the basis of a crew-overboard procedure. It should be learned by every
member of the crew.I realize that that
is a tall order, because not many sailors will bother.Nevertheless, the skipper should insist that
everyone under his command at least becomes familiar with it.There’s little point in printing it out and
handing copies to people when an emergency occurs because usually there won’t
be time or opportunity to study it, but at least crewmembers who have read it
in advance will recognize the steps being taken and perhaps use their own
initiative when the skipper is too busy to give individual orders to everyone.
It is, after, a list of common-sense moves. This is how it goes:

1.Shout “Crew overboard!” to alert the crew.

2.Throw overboard horseshoe lifebuoys and anything else in the cockpit
likely to provide flotation or mark the spot. Heave a Lifesling buoy overboard.

3.Detail someone to point at the person in the water and keep pointing, no
matter what.

4.Press the button on your GPS that saves your present position and allows
you to track back to it.

5.Note your compass course, then turn the boat on a reciprocal course as
quickly as possible. It is very important not to stray too far from the victim.

6.Approach the victim cautiously from leeward and be prepared to cut power
to avoid propeller injuries.

7.In one end of a suitable line, tie a bowline to slip over the victim’s
head and shoulders. This will probably not be needed if you use a Lifesling and
the victim is correctly attached.

8.Haul the victim up out of the water any way you can — into a dinghy,
onto the deck, or into the cockpit, with a halyard, block and tackle, or sheer
muscle power. On a calm day, you might be able to lower the mainsail into the
water and roll the victim aboard in the bunt.

9.Treat the victim as necessary for water inhalation, shock, hypothermia,
or heart failure.

10. Radio for medical advice or
broadcast a Mayday call if warranted.

Today’s
Thought

Who
can hope to be safe? who sufficiently cautious?

Guard
himself as he may, every moment’s an ambush.

— Horace, Odes

Tailpiece

“Would you prefer red wine or white,
sir?”

“Shucks, it makes no difference to
me young feller, I’m color blind.”

(Drop by every Monday, Wednesday,
Friday for a new Mainly about Boats column.)

3 comments:

Thanks for this John. First, it's good to see your "plan" is similar to our own (http://www.sailfarlivefree.com/2014/04/all-hands-on-deck-crew-overboard.html). Second, I think MOB procedures should be brought to the sailing community's attention numerous times per year, so congrats on keeping this info in front of us.

All good tried and true steps. Something I've noticed during sailboat races is also true during emergencies; we all lose major IQ points. So what was easy to think through in a calm moment becomes impossible to remember when the pressure is on. I remember once during a first aid emergency affecting a loved one, I ran to the phone to call for help and was so rattled I couldn't remember 9-1-1.

It takes a lot of practice to be able to perform in a crisis and I don't know anyone who conducts the drills needed, me included.

The best I can come up with is that the MOB has to be equipped to sustain for a good while until the crew gets their heads back together in order to mount a rescue. In addition to a PFD, MOB needs: a) attached crotch straps to keep from being dunked as the waves get higher; b) whistle and strobe lights to help boat locate victim, and perhaps a Personal AIS Beacon to pinpoint MOB location.

The Clipper Race has has two MOB incidents in past two years. One lived but the other did not. Both were recovered however due to their vest mounted AIS beacons.

Jeff, you're absolutely right. I'm afraid my feeling is that if you fall overboard, you will be extremely lucky to be rescued. AIS is a wonderful invention, but, like almost everything else, it won't help if you're singlehanded. Therefore the focus should be on staying on board no matter what. Use short tethers and jacklines. Stay attached. Don't fall overboard. Be ruthless about it, because it's not easy to be fastened to the boat at all times. It's sometimes awkward and often difficult, but it, too, is something that should be practiced in advance.